And afterward Joshua struck them and put them to death, and he hanged them on five trees. And they hung on the trees until evening.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The verse highlights a deliberate act of public display, emphasizing that the defeated kings remained visible on trees throughout the entire day until evening. This wasn't just about execution, but a powerful, visual testament intended to instill fear in enemies and affirm God's victory for the Israelites.
And afterward Joshua struck them and put them to death, and he hanged them on five trees. And they hung on the trees until evening.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Following a miraculous day where Joshua commanded the sun to stand still, he and the Israelites finish slaughtering their enemies and then capture and publicly humiliate the five kings who had conspired against them. After this symbolic act, Joshua orders the swift destruction and conquest of several cities, including Makkedah, showing no mercy to the inhabitants.
Why would Joshua hang the defeated kings' bodies on trees?
The act of hanging the five kings after they were slain was a powerful public statement. It served as a visible symbol of their utter defeat and disgrace. This wasn't just about ending their lives; it was about demonstrating God's judgment and striking fear into the hearts of any who would oppose Him and His people.
Could this brutal display hold a deeper, spiritual meaning for us today?
The victory of Joshua and the public execution of these kings foreshadow Christ's ultimate triumph over sin and death. While the earthly act was one of judgment and terror, it points to a spiritual reality:
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Understand the original words
mûṯ · Hebrew Verb
The act of killing someone as a judicial punishment or in the context of warfare, often implying the finality of life ending. In Scripture, it is sometimes used for divine judgment carried out by human agents.
The public display of the hanged kings served as a stark warning to the Canaanite inhabitants and a powerful symbol for the Israelites, reinforcing God's judgment on sin and His commitment to His people's conquest.
c. 1400 BC
Israelite Conquest of Canaan Begins
Under Joshua's leadership, following God's command, the Israelites begin their military campaign to conquer the land of Canaan, displacing its inhabitants.
c. 1400 BC
Battle of Gibeon
The Amorite kings, led by the king of Jerusalem, form a coalition to attack Gibeon for allying with Israel. Joshua leads the Israelite army in a decisive victory, aided by a miraculous extension of daylight.
c. 1400 BC
Five Kings Hide in Cave
After their defeat at Gibeon, the five coalition kings (Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish, Eglon) flee and hide in a cave near Makkedah.
c. 1400 BC— this verse
Capture and Execution of Five Kings
Joshua orders the cave opened, brings forth the five kings, makes Israel's captains put their feet on their necks, and then has them executed. Their bodies are hanged on trees until evening.
c. 1400 BC
Conquest of Makkedah
Immediately following the execution of the five kings, Joshua and the Israelite army capture and destroy the city of Makkedah and its king.
c. 1400 BC
Continued Conquest of Southern Canaan
The campaign continues with the swift destruction of cities like Libnah, Lachish, and Eglon, following the pattern of total annihilation established with Makkedah.
This passage sets the precedent for the post-mortem exposure of a criminal, emphasizing that their body should not remain unburied past sunset, tying into the practice seen in Joshua's action.
Joshua 8:29This verse describes a similar act of publicly displaying the body of a defeated king after Joshua had struck him and his city, reinforcing the symbolic meaning of shame and deterrence.
Psalm 149:6-9This psalm speaks of the saints executing vengeance on the nations, binding their kings with chains, which echoes the divine authority and purpose behind Joshua's severe judgment on the defeated kings.
Colossians 2:15This New Testament passage speaks of Christ triumphing over spiritual powers and authorities by the cross, drawing a parallel to how Joshua's public display of the defeated kings served as an open demonstration of victory and judgment.
calvinJoshua 10:15-28: "And Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, unto the camp to Gilgal."
And it came to pass, when Joshua and the children of Israel had made an end of slaying them with a very great slaughter, till they were consumed, that the rest which remained of them entered into fenced cities.
Quum autem finem fecisset Josue, et filii Israel percutiendi plaga magna valde, donec consumerentur, et superstites qui evaserant ex ipsis ingressi essent urbes munitas.
And all the pe…
pulpitJoshua 10:26: "And afterward Joshua smote them, and slew them, and hanged them on five trees: and they were hanging upon the trees until the evening."
Verse 26. - And hanged them. This was also a symbolical act, intended to encourage Israel in their warfare. All that day, until its close, were the bodies of the five kings visible to the whole host, to remind them of the signal victory God had vouchsafed them. The same thing had been done at Ai. See Joshua 8:29.
The verse highlights a deliberate act of public display, emphasizing that the defeated kings remained visible on trees throughout the entire day until evening. This wasn't just about execution, but a powerful, visual testament intended to instill fear in enemies and affirm God's victory for the Israelites.
Following a miraculous day where Joshua commanded the sun to stand still, he and the Israelites finish slaughtering their enemies and then capture and publicly humiliate the five kings who had conspired against them. After this symbolic act, Joshua orders the swift destruction and conquest of several cities, including Makkedah, showing no mercy to the inhabitants.
Following a miraculous day where Joshua commanded the sun to stand still, he and the Israelites finish slaughtering their enemies and then capture and publicly humiliate the five kings who had conspired against them. After this symbolic act, Joshua orders the swift destruction and conquest of several cities, including Makkedah, showing no mercy to the inhabitants.
"And afterward Joshua struck them and put them to death, and he hanged them on five trees. And they hung on the trees until evening." — The verse highlights a deliberate act of public display, emphasizing that the defeated kings remained visible on trees throughout the entire day until evening. This wasn't just about execution, but a…
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Last reviewed October 2026